As we edge closer to the onset of tomorrow's storm, expected to last into Saturday, the chances of a snow amounts rivaling the Dec. 18-19 event (16.4" officially at Reagan National Airport) are increasing. As such, how common is it for D.C. to get two double-digit snowfalls in a single winter?

Since record keeping began at Reagan National (DCA) in the early 1940s, there have only been two winters in which DCA received multiple double-digit events, 1957-58 and 1986-87. 1898-99, which had our snowiest February (35.2") and snowiest winter on record (54.4"), featured paralyzing back to back storms in early February of 13.7" and 20.5" respectively. However, snow was measured at 24th St. and M St. NW, not at our current location near sea level on the Potomac River where such a feat is even more impressive.

Keep reading for more on the low odds of two double-digit snows in the same season

The snowy El Nino winter of 1957-58 featured an 11.4" storm on Dec. 3-4, 1957, in what was otherwise a mostly warm and uneventful month. The second double digit storm occurred on Feb. 15-16, 1958, when 14.4" fell. This storm was big for the entire I-95 corridor from D.C. to Boston, and is somewhat infamous for stranding thousands of fans at the now defunct Bowie Race Track. Another event in mid-March dropped up to 15-20" in the western suburbs, but just under 5" at DCA. 1957-58 snow tally of 40.4" is tied with 2002-03 for 2nd largest seasonal snowfall total since snow measuring began at DCA (1995-96 with 46.0" is 1st).

The winter of 1986-87 also experienced two double-digit snowstorms. Like 1957-58 and the current winter, it also coincided with a moderate El Nino event. While there were several snow events in the western suburbs early in the season, DCA was snowless until late January. The snow drought ended with a bang. On Jan. 22, 1987, 10.8" officially fell in a widespread event that blanketed much of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast with double-digit snow. This event is noteworthy not particularly because it was a big snowfall, but rather because of what happened three days later. On Jan. 25-26, 1987, 9.2" fell at DCA in a storm that was supposed to mostly miss D.C. to the southeast. The 2nd event was responsible for hampering what was already a difficult cleanup and snow removal effort. The fallout from this storm led Mayor Marion Barry, who was away attending the Super Bowl in California, to declare: "We're not a snow town." Though this event dumped double-digit snows south and east of D.C., it wasn't officially a 10"+ event.

About a month later, a much lower-impact storm affected the region. On Feb. 22-23, 1987, 10.3" fell at DCA for the second double-digit snowfall of the winter. This was a very heavy and wet snowfall that fell quickly during the overnight hours with temperatures around 32 or 33 degrees. The late-February sun and afternoon temperatures in the mid-40s the next day melted the snow quickly.

Perhaps we can hit the trifecta this weekend and join the other two historic winters with our second 10" snowstorm of the season. If so, maybe we are a snow town? O.k., just kidding. Get your bread and milk and enjoy the storm. I certainly will.

OK, I've seen enough. The model progression has begun and it seems pretty improbable to avoid double digits at DCA. My, even the 12Z GFS is juicy. Still think DC is going to lose a few inches to sleet, but the precip on the cold back side of the storm might itself be enough to break 10 on its own. Think the sleet will make it hard to beat the December storm, though there will almost certainly be more water in it, making this one harder to push around

@Bainbridge
mmmmmmm Pirogies....those are one of the few things I just can't make. But thanks for the inspiration...I'll stop by the Kielbasa Factory in Rockville and pick up some of their fresh, homemade ones!

DCA is so close to DC that it's pretty much just a technicality to call it "in Virginia." Just wanted to point that out, though I definitely think in keeping with the political iconic nature of the town we should measure at the Capitol or White House.

Jan. 25, 1987, was the Superbowl Sunday. Jan. 22 was a Thursday. That first storm was one of those classic 80s storms of small accumulations that kept getting bigger and bigger once the snow had started falling. I went in to work extra early to avoid the problems associated with the roughly 2-4 inches forecast IIRC. On my way in the accumulation forecast was doubled. Once I got there it was increased again, so we all went home early. What a rough trip that was!

The prospect setting new snowfall records is exciting. I'm just concerned with how many people that I talk to don't have proper provisioning for such an event. No shovel, & not enough food for a couple days. Keep in mid that even if you live within walking distance of a store, the store may not be open, or stripped of every product and you won't have a a sidewalk & will have to walk in the streets, which will have obstructed visibility due to monster snowbanks.
People get ready!

We're all ready! Last night, we made a big pot of "Boilermaker Tailgate Chili" (from Allrecipes.com). For toppings; sour cream, Fritos and cheddar cheese! Now, of course, we'll have a power outage and will have to eat it cold...

@DaveB@
My boss - a senior political appointee- said that was the talk at the morning meetings. He lives in Md so I was teasing him about a long drive home and he sid they are likely going to let folks leave early. I live 4 miles from work but will be one of the first out the door (I'm always the first in the door by hours - so no wise cracks about lazy feds - I'm a contractor) - snow happy hour!

@kallieh,
It's not a technicality from a climatological perspective. DCA is at sea-level on the Potomac river. Combined, these factors can have an effect on temperature and precipitation observations that may not best represent DC's climate; possibly the difference of a few inches of snow in a big storm or a few degrees warmer during a cold night... I just think DCA is not an ideal place to capture DC's official observations.

I still cannot get over this statement in the WSW: * ACCUMULATIONS...STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 16 TO 24 INCHES.
I keep going back thinking it's a typo. The statement about the winds causing "near blizzard conditions" concerns me greatly since in '96 I was driving on the NY Turnpike during a huge storm and encountered near white-out conditions. There is nothing scarier than seeing the big rig in front of you disappear knowing you cannot stop or exit, but just have to keep plugging along until you can find some tracks in the snow leading to a hotel. You really just don't want to drive in those conditions. It's not the depth of the snow, it's the lack of visibility. Everyone, please think twice before driving in these conditions, 'cause once you go out, you're out there.

Things are already chaos at the grocery stores. Husband had to stop at two to find milk, and says the cashiers were already laughing hysterically. Very glad that I don't have to face that tonight on the way home.

"Though located on the Virginia side of the Potomac, much of the [DCA] site had originally been underwater, in District of Columbia territory. A 1945 law established the airport as legally within Virginia but under the jurisdiction of Congress."

So for measuring weather, it's reasonable to think of DCA as effectively being part of D.C.

My theory is that way back when there were very few places with any sort of weather equipment--and even fewer people who understood how to use it, so airports seem like a logical location. That said, would it be worth moving the official spot from DCA to a spot within the district? Probably but then the records of previous decades wouldn't jive.

The problem isn't that DCA is in Virginia, but the difference in it's reports versus that of the rest of the region. Unfortunately the news always relays what is tallied at DCA which does not represent anywhere else in the DC area and always leaves us feeling like we are a bunch of underachievers.

Yes, the modern day borders of DC and Virginia both include territory that was at one point in the other jurisdiction because the Potomac River has changed shape over the last couple hundred years....mostly on purpose.

It just seems like common sense that with DCA being right on the water, the temperature variances between it and even the Mall could fluctuate between a degree or two and it always seems like my snow totals on Capitol Hill are always an inch or so more than the "official" measurement.

On another note, has a name been settled on? I think "Spawn of Snowpocolypse" has a nice ring to it.

I was at Wal-Mart earlier and it was very busy. Alot of carts with milk and toilet paper, etc :-) I had to get a few food items, plus some batteries, etc. I hope the power doesn't go out. There talkin about sleet too, so I hope the weight on the trees and lines isn't too much to bring them down.

Thanks - actually the question was more which grocery store to go to... I will probably go to the Whole Foods, after work.

Menu - sausage soup, pork chops with cornbread dressing, a few simple hot veggie recipies (since it looks like I will have the time...) Snowlover2, adding chocolate to that list - suprised I forgot!

Also white wine - Roommate A wanted to have a little wine on Saturday, but couldn't due to the snow (we just don't think to keep it around) so I asked her this morning - "You get red and I get white?" :P

A little concerned about Roommate B - will come back from Richmond Friday morning but planning on going into work. Luckily she trusts the info I get from CWG and other outlets... :) On the other hand, she IS a native New York City dweller, and can probably drive circles around me in the snow.

Man I hope this storm is a bust and goes far out to sea. I get up 400am tomorrow feed the dogs and at first light bring the sheep in closer. I have over 400. 300+ are ewes ready to lamb and they are due this weekend. The low pressure should induce labor. And then the mountain lions and coyotes know the snow makes it harder for the sheep to move and they know when there are new lambs. So my livestock guardian dogs, collies and I will be out checking and working for next 36 to 48 hrs.

Farmers and ranchers hate snow. Yeah we need the moisture etc but its hell to work in and causes losses of stock.

My LGDs already have killed one mountain lion this year here in VA and several coyotes. Thank God we don't have wolves yet. One was trapped and killed in Montgomery County back a couple of years ago with coyotes.

I throw out numerous hay bales since the ground will be snow covered now for weeks
increasing my costs. I have enough pasture that most winters I can just let them forage. And supplement w/hay rarely. My sheep are raised organically and humanely.

Cows are also ready to calve and will have the same problems. Coyotes will go after newborn calves.

Snow is great if you don't have to work or drive in it. Snow lovers need to face rendition and extreme torture ie giving Lady Gaga a bikini wax!

I think that if we get 20 inches of snow and it is cold Sunday there would be a day off. Once you get above a foot of snow it takes awhile to dig out.

Someone on the other board mentioned that everyone probably had shovels from the other storms. Probably they do, but, I have started to think it would be nice to have 2 shovels at least so that more than one person could be shoveling at a time.

Can you imagine this much snow again?
Hard to believe it with all the sun today.

So, what happens on SUNDAY? Does it all melt? Does it Freeze? Do we have the day off on Monday? Any idea?

Posted by: SnowLover1

The SuperDig begins. There will be little melting as temps are supposed to stay below to near freezing for the next several days (and real cold at night). And while the sun will help, if we get 18+ inches, it won't even put a dent in it. If we get 12, we could conceivably have work on Monday. If we get 24, let's just say don't drink all your beer during the game.

And for those of you who care to think beyond Monday/Tuesday timeframe, the afternoon update from HPC states:

"COLD HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATES THE US EAST OF THE ROCKIES SUN TO MIDWEEK WHILE A SRN STREAM SHORTWAVE INDUCES A SRN PLAINS/INTERIOR GULF COAST LOW EARLY IN THE WEEK WITH POTENTIAL OF A REFORMING MILLER TYPE B SYSTEM EXITING OFF THE EAST COAST MID WEEK BRINGING ADDITIONAL WINTER WEATHER TO THE MS VALLEY AND EWD TOWARDS THE MID ATLC REGION/NORTHEAST WED."

With what is already on the ground, the left over piles of the previous two storms, where is the snow going to be placed that is collected from the large parking lots ect? Last week at Fairfax Corner, the lot used for the December storm still had a lot of snow, I wonder how it looks from the last two?

I'm not a betting man, and it is rare for the Feds to be closed, but I'd say they will on Monday.

I started planning the snow menu as soon as this storm seemed like a reality...chicken and dumplings friday, chana masala with homemade naan on saturday, fresh bread and baked goods throughout. I cook and bake a lot normally, but snow just gives me an excuse to do more!

@sheepherder. Good grief, all those ewes ready to lamb...this weekend! I hope y'all make it through okay. Really, wolves?? I liked the bit about the LGDs. I'd never heard of them before. We're not farmers, just country folks in W.Va.

Livestock guardian dogs work in all temps. My six will be out in all temps. They have strategically located dog houses to take shelter in with straw for bedding raised off the ground. One time late last spring one of my Tatras had to quick a yearling male bear out during a T storm.

Yeah in Montgomery County they trapped a bunch of coyotes and found a red wolf in with them. I wouldn't be surprised if wolves from MI migrate down because of deer population in next decade. DArn azela growing country and surburban living folks! Dia Bambi die!

Wal-Mart looked like a flock of vultures had descended upon it. If you needed milk, eggs or bottled water, you might as well forget about it. Luckily I drink soy milk so there's no problem there. However, I did get humiliated when I had the nerve to ask if there were any more shovels. The clerk busted out laughing in my face and walked off, and several other customers laughed at me too.

I have one, but like someone else mentioned you really need two, or one of you does all the work while the other one just stands there.

But bring on the snow. My menu includes homemade pizza, chicken wings, lamb stew and all the cakes, pies and brownies I can bake in 24-48 hours.

My wife is in Europe and scheduled to arrive in Dulles on Saturday at 10 p.m. She tried to change her flight to arrive at Dulles tomorrow as early as 2:30 p.m. but was told that United had already cancelled all flights from Munich into Dulles tomorrow.

Sheepherder, wish I could offer help in some way or make the clouds part over your ranch.

I'm intrigued about the mountain lion your LGD's killed. There is scant evidence in the state about the resurgence of the mountain lion. Lots of anecdotal evidence and sightings though. A dead body would certainly be evidence state biologists need. Were you able to save the carcass? Did you contact the Eastern Cougar Foundation?

Can you please post links to where you are hearing about cancelled flights? My office is deciding whether or not to cancel a big meeting Saturday. The out of towners still want to have it. Knowing their flights are not going to land could change their minds.

To the poster who asked about the biggest ever DC storm, it was 28 inches in 1922, the famous and tragic Knickerbocker snowstorm. As for 1987, we also got 11.5 on Veteran's Day that year. My memory tells me that the total snow at DCA in calendar 1987 was more than 50 inches with 3 double-digit snows and one very near miss. If the forecaster at DCA who took the measurement of 9.8 could just have had an extra beer, it would have been 4 of them, 3 in one winter.

I'm not sure what my snow weekend menu will be, but I bought a six-pack of hard cider, a bottle of grenadine, a bottle of simple syrup, and 2L of Coke yesterday...and I already have rum, vodka, Bloody Mary mix, margarita mix, and lime juice in the fridge.

So. Yeah, not sure, bit it's probably going to be epic. My boss says she's going to show up on my doorstep Friday night so she can get snowed in with me.